This is a special weekend with the 4th of July on Saturday, hot humid weather to go along with this time of year, and remembering 250 years ago and the sacrifices made over the years so that I can sit down and have the freedom to write something for the newspaper. You have the choice to read it or not, to agree or not agree, and with all that freedom, neither you nor I have someone knocking on our doors telling us what we can write or read.
How blessed we are to live in America, and I want to share what a couple fellas said on their radio program. They reminded us it was time we all began looking at the good side of America and tell that story and the history of how we got here.
But, it wouldn’t be the 4th without the music that I love to hear. The history behind the writing of the Star Spangled Banner, the story behind Irving Berlin’s God Bless America sung by Kate Smith, The Battle Hymn of the Republic...I could go on and on. My heart sings and tears come to my eyes whenever I hear This is My Country or You’re a Grand Old Flag...and especially when I see a band marching and can feel the drum beats as they march by. Yep, I am an American and proud of it...with its scars and flaws just like me.
My cherished memory of the 4th as a kid was a potluck supper at our house with my aunts, uncles, cousins and some fireworks. I still picture my cousins and I taking sparklers and marching down our dead end country gravel road at dusk and singing. Sparklers and the puffy, black “snakes” were about as wild as it got with the exception of firecrackers tossed by my three boy cousins. Maybe a few Roman lanterns would go off to light the sky if my uncle felt he had enough money to splurge. It was a grand night a long time ago.
I have a tape of WWII songs and one of them is “This is a great country, a great country, so let’s celebrate out loud. Take a look in your history book, and you’ll see why we should be proud...
So, grab your sparklers, your lawn chairs, listen to the music with your family or neighbors, and watch the fireworks. Remember, this is a great country, and as the song goes... God Bless America...every day. !
Sharon Chenoweth is a resident and farmer of McDonough County. Her column focuses on rural life and will be featured every other week in the Community News Brief Friday Edition.
The McDonough County Historical Society developed this series, focused on experiences told by residents, from the mid-1940s to the 1970s. It will appear twice a month. Other short memoirs, extending one to three pages, are still welcome, and contributors should submit those to John Hallwas ([email protected]) or Kathy Nichols ([email protected]). This series will probably extend beyond our 2026 bicentennial year.
